Posts Tagged ‘Jeremy Lim’

Following their 3-0 friendly loss to Russia, all the ingredients are now in place for Italy to stage another fairy tale similar to their 2006 World Cup triumph: a match-fixing scandal back home, their credibility crumbling after three consecutive losses, and questions existing about how the Azzurri hold up against top class opposition, let alone on how they will stage a meaningful challenge for the European finals.

For the first time since 2006, the Italian national team can stake a major claim of having a reasonable chance of winning the European finals. Coach Cesare Prandelli has worked wonders with the Azzuri, incorporating a meritocratic squad selection process as well as balancing out experience and vitality by mixing the old with the young.

In such a way, the wisdom of Gigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo and Andrea Barzagli are ably complemented by the energy of international upstarts Claudio Marchisio, Sebastian Giovinco and Angelo Ogbonna. With Italy breezing through the qualification process, the nation eagerly looked forward to see what Prandelli had in store for them as he announced his 32-man preliminary squad.

No one really cares about where the Coppa Italia goes so long as the Scudetto is up for grabs. That has been the sad reality of recent edition as Italy’s domestic cup competition plays second-fiddle to its league counterpart, as is common place in so many other European football landscapes. Not this season, however.

Juventus, a club accustomed to winning, yet starved of that unique flavour in recent times, roared back to everyone’s attention in the European realm as they clinched their 30th (detractors would contest that number) Scudetto, or Italian league title, on Sunday evening.

Juventus win the Scudetto to the jubilation of their fans.

While to the delight of their millions of fans worldwide who sensed the prize, the club’s first in six years, was at its closest to being paraded around in Turin after so long, one could not help but wonder, how did it all change for a side stuck in mid-table to reach the pinnacle of an Italian triumph in the space of a single season?

All it would take for Juventus to allow A.C. Milan right back into the title race on a whim was one false step, and it occured when Lecce’s Andrea Bertolacci was allowed to capitalize on the rarest of errors from Juventus custodian Gianluigi Buffon to score the equalizer and earn his relegation-battling side a gutsy 1-1 draw with the league leaders at the Juventus Stadium in Turin.

April is now coming to an end, and Serie A is taking on the shape of one of its most thrilling season-finishes. At the time of writing, Juventus – a side who were pretty much written off to finish largely in the same position as they did in their two previous seasons, sit pretty at the top of the table. Three point behind lie former-favourites A.C. Milan, who have seen their form stutter over the past month and questions constantly asked about their ability to defend their title, especially in light of their disappointing home draw against Bologna in week 34.